Press Releases

The Ministry of Health welcomes, yesterday’s approval, by the European Medicines Agency and by the European Commission of the circulation of the vaccine developed by Pfizer-BioNTech in the Member States of the European Union. This development is the result of the initiative of the European Commissioner for Health, Ms Stella Kyriakidou, favourable to all Member States, which ensures access for all EU members to the COVID-19 vaccine.

Following yesterday’s developments and the approval of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, the distribution of the vaccine to member states begins immediately. In Cyprus the first batch is expected to be delivered on December 26, 2020, and according to the plan, vaccinations will begin on 27 December 2020.

Based on the timetable provided by the production company and the European Commission, the vaccines will be delivered in batches on a weekly basis and it is estimated that Cyprus will receive during the 1^st quarter of 2021 around 28% of the total quantity ordered and 86% of the expected quantity of vaccines as indicated by the Commission on the basis of the agreement for the reported quarter.

Given the hierarchy of priority population groups for vaccination, the first batches of vaccines will vaccinate around 8,000 people, with priority given to personnel and residents in senior peoples’ homes and health professionals at the reference hospital.

(MPO/IK)